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Microsoft has published the date on which it will ‘end support’ for its troubled Windows10 Mobile devices as 10th December 2019.

The computer technology giant, which all but admitted defeat in the ultracompetitive mobile phone market back in 2016, quietly updated its FAQ in mid January and said December is when the devices will cease to receive new security updates as well as other staple features.

In an ‘End of Support’ document, Microsoft has instead recommended customers still using the devices to switch to iOS or Android. The page further notes that help ends on 11th June, and “security updates, non-security hotfixes, free assisted support options, or online technical content updates…” will end on 10th December 2019. Some applications will have access help for a further three months post the switch off date.

Microsoft has long struggled in the mobile market and in October 2016, global vice president of operating systems Joe Belfiore said Windows Mobile would stop receiving updates other than security-related ones and bug fixes.

He Tweeted: “We’ll continue to support the platform.. bug fixes, security updates, etc. But building new features/hw [hardware] aren’t the focus.”

Microsoft also ended its support for Windows Phone 8.1 in the summer of 2017, with many predicting Windows 10Mobile would face a similar fate.

Wes Azad, director of Innopsis, the industry association for companies supplying network services to the public sector, said the handsets will become useless in the business market place. “The operators, customers, and handset vendors have all been tracking this for some time and the good news is that people have been planning for the switch being turned off for further support,” he said.

Some reports claim Microsoft is creating a Surface foldable phone, which could be made available by the end of this year or in early 2020.